Quincy City Clerk Joseph Shea said voter turnout has been slightly higher than expected as of 2 p.m. today, as residents decide two contested races and three ballot questions in the city election.

Although Shea projected that under 20 percent of registered voters will show up in most wards, he said the turnout in Ward 4, where two-term incumbent Brian Palmucci is facing a challenge from Michael Healy, may increase the city's overall voter percentage to a total that exceeds his expectations. Shea said as many as 30 percent of Ward 4’s voters could cast ballots by the time polls close at 8 p.m.

“It’s light, but it may be a little more than I originally thought,” Shea said. “There is activity in (Ward) 4.”

The other race is a four-way citywide contest for three seats on the school committee. Newcomer Noel DiBona is hoping to unseat one of the three incumbents running – Barbara Isola, Emily Lebo and Anne Mahoney.

The ballot features three questions, including a binding question asking voters to extend Quincy’s mayoral term from two years to four starting with the 2015 election. A nonbinding question asks voters if they want to merge the city’s two high schools, and a binding question looks to expand funding options for community preservation projects.

Ward 4 voters may notice new high-tech voting machines. Shea said Quincy is one of two communities in the state, along with Easthampton, testing out the new automated ballot counters for the state. The machines were manufactured by Dominion Voting.